After the celebrations have come and gone, escaping home becomes the only drive. We can't help but be the first in line to leave this place. With our hurried steps, we forget the celebration that came before and give into the desire for familiar.

The herd mentality takes over and we follow en masse. Seeming to flee the zombies that come behind us searching for the same thing we seek. Room to breathe.

We're lost in a sea of movement. A collective yet individual thought: Get Away. Escape. Get Home.

Drifting through the dark, we find moments of emptiness and separation soothing. No more worrying about the actions of others, we can finally release.

We make our way through the blackness, peeking over our shoulder to make sure our pursuers aren't too close. As we move from the darkness back into the light, we've returned to ourselves. No longer zombies consumed with flight. We find the home we're looking for on the sidewalks and parking lots from where we arrived.

These crowds are leaving the security perimeter around the Marine Corps Memorial and the Netherlands Carillon in Arlington, VA after watching the fireworks overlooking the National Mall in Washington, DC.